Well-inlet.



Patented July I5, 1902.

0. H. MAUBY. WELL INLET.

(Application flied May 18, 1901.)

2 Sheets-8hbet I.

(No Model.)

No. 704,896.. Patented July I5 1902.

u. H. MAURY. I I

WELL INLET.

(Application filed May 13, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

PATENT GFFICE.

DABNEY- H. M'AURY; or PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

WELL-INLET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,896, dated July 15, 1902.

Application filed May lS IQOI. Serial No. 60,087. (No model.)

To alt whom itmcty concern:

Be it knownthat I, DABNEYV H. MAURY, a citizen of'the UnitedStates, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and-State of Illinois, have invented certain'newand useful Improvements in Well-Inlets, 'of, which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin inlets or inlet-terminals for incased wells, particularly for what are commonly known as open wells, the diameter of which is so great that they can actually be entered instead of being merely accessible'from. the top, as is the case with the ordinary bored or driven .-.well.

The objects ofthe invention are .to provide an improved' construction by the employment of which the use of metal -strain ers for removing debris and'sediment from the incoming water can 'be done away with, with even'better results so far as the obtain ing of an adequate volume of clear water is concerned than if such strainerswere used, and to provide a generally-improved construetion of inlet-terminal for open wells, particularly of that type of such wells in which that portionjof the inte'riorabove the inlet-termi; nal forms a dry well adapted to receive pumping machinery of any suitable variety.'

The invention consists in thematters here. in set forth, and particularly'pointed out in the appended claims. 7 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lisi a sectional view of an ordinary open well provided with an inlet-terminal constructed in accordance with my improvements. Fig; 2 showsa similar well provided with a somewhat more highly organized inlet-terminal constructed in accordance with my improvef. ments. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of some details of the construction shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on li ne 5 Sof Fig, 1." i

In Fig. lof said drawings, 1 designates the steel casing onan ordinary open well W, the depth anddiameter of which may be anything desired. The lowermost section of this casinglconstitntes in this instance the inlet-terminal T of thewell, and it is accordingly punched through with a great number of holes 2, through which the water from the surrounding earth is ultimately designed to enter. In the sinking of the well, however, these holes 2 are tightly closed in this instance and. desirably by screens or coveringplates 3, that are removably secured to the casing by bolts or cap-screws l -which while holding the covers tightly in place may be readily unscrewed to permit the removal of the plates. I I a In the sinking of the well either the pneumatic processor any of the other well-known methods of accomplishing work of this character may be employed, the cover-plates 3 in the meantime being bolted firmly in place. Then when the well has been sunk to the proper depth and supplied, if necessary, with a bottom plate "or grating G the covers 3 are unbolted and permanently removed, leaving the holes 2 uncovered and free to permit the influx of water through them. The first water entering through these holes (which are desirably made of considerable diamcterthreefourths of an inch or more, for exampleso that they are not likely to become clogged) will bring with it more or less sand, gravel,

. and the like; but asthe flow continues such finer material as can successfully pass through the holes will, be graduallywashed into and .m'ay be pumped out of the well, while the crowding toward the casing of larger stones and pieces of rock will ultimately cover the inlet-openings and build up a natural filter about them, which will keep out the further entrance of sand and sediment without interfering with the influx of water.

In the more highly organized construction shownin Fig. 2 the inlet-terminal consists of 5a skeleton outer cylinder and a perforated ;inner cylindenG, which latter corresponds with the terminal cylinder '1 of the more elemental construction shown in Fig. 1 and is similarly provided with holes 2, that are initially closed by removable cover-plates 3, as previously described in connection with said Fig. 1. The skeleton outer cylinder is formed, as herein shown, of circular hoops or bands 6, 7, 8, and 9, of angle or channel iron, that are connected together at intervals by vertical strips 10. A bulkhead 11, provided with manholes, (not shown in the drawings,) extends between the upper hoop or band 6 and the upper end of the inner cylinder, and a downwardly-flaring bottom plate 12 extends between the lower end of said inner cylinder and the lower hoop or band 9, while an angular bracing 13 serves to strengthen the structure between its ends.- Such skeleton outer cylinder is then originally and throughout the entire process of sinking the well (which process may, as before, be of any character deemed most suitable for the particular situation in hand, whether pneumatic or otherwise) completely closed in by sections of sheeting, which are arranged to slide longitudinally between the vertical strips 10, be ing held in place there by wider strips 14, secured over the strips 10 to form guideways for the sections. This leaves between the outer and inner cylinders and between the upper bulkhead 11 and bottom plate 12 an inclosed space F, which is filled in through the manholes with stones and gravel to form a filter bed or screen, the material being desirably packed in by hand, so as to bring the coarsest portions next the perforated inner cylinder. During the sinking operation this filter-bed is completely inclosed by the sheeting, and the terminal presents to the surrounding earth a continuous and substantially smooth exterior which does not interfere with the sinking operation. The narrow spaces between the sections of sheeting and the upper hoop 6 on the one side and the steel casing of the well W on the other are designed to be closed and made tight against air or water during sinking by calking with hemp, wooden wedges, or other suitable material, over which is preferably then poured melted coal-tar pitch. Then upon completion of the sinking operation the sheeting is Withdrawn section by section, (by applying a suitable tackle to an eye or hook 15 at the upper end of each section and pulling it vertically upward from between its guides,) and this leaves the outer circumference of the terminal entirely open, so that the water from the surrounding earth can enter it freely and percolate through the filter-bed toward the inletopenings 2, which when uncovered by the removal of the plates 3 admit the water to the inner cylinder 0. Before the removal of the plates 3 a filling of stones and gravel will desirably be packed in beneath the conical bottom wall 12 and beneath aperforated bottom plate 16, secured in the lower end of the cylinder O, and through which also water may enter the latter. The top of the inner cylinder is herein shown as closed by a tight head 17, through which a suction-pipe 18 is extended downwardly into the lower part of the cylinder 0. This suction-pipe is controlled by a gate-valve V, from the upper side of which the water is conducted up to a pump P, that may be of any type or variety desired and may be located wherever found convenient. Upon the removal of the sheeting it is designed that the joints all around the bulkhead 11 shall be made waterproof and said bulkhead covered witha .layer of concrete D, upon which the lining-walls I. of the upper well maybe started, it being designed that this upper well shall be maintained normally dry and free from water, so as to be ready of access at all times.

The well-inlet thus described presents an enormous surface to the gathering of the water-supply desired and insures its entering the suction-well in a clear and purified condition while at the same time avoiding the use of fine screens or small inlet-perforations likely to become clogged or foul. In its broader aspects, however, it will be understood that myinvention is not limited to the particular constructions shown nor to anything further than the plain terms of the appended claims necessarily import.

I claim as my invention- 1. A well-inlet comprising an outer skeleton cylinder, removable sheeting temporarily closing said outer cylinder, a perforated inner cylinder, and means for temporarily closing the perforations in the inner cylinder.

2. A well-inlet comprising an outer skeleton cylinder, longitudinally-slidable sheeting temporarily closing said outer cylinder, a perforated inner cylinder, and means for temporarily closing the perforations in said inner cylinder.

3. A well-inlet comprising an outer skele ton cylinder, removable sheeting temporarily closing said outer cylinder, a perforated inner cylinder, means for temporarily closing the perforations in said inner cylinder, and an annular filter-bed packed between the inner and outer cylinders.

4. An inlet-terminal for well-casings comprising an outer cylinder, removable sheeting temporarily closing said outer cylinder, a perforated inner cylinder, means for temporarily closing the perforations in said inner cylinder, and a perforated bottom in said inner cylinder.

5. An inlet-terminal for well-casings comprising an outer skeleton cylinder, removable sheeting temporarily closing said outer cylinder, a perforated inner cylinder, means for temporarily closing the perforations insaid inner cylinder, a perforated bottom in said inner cylinder, and a filter-bed packed around and beneath said inner cylinder.

6. The combination with a well-casing, of an inlet-terminal separated from the rest of the casing by a water-tight bulkhead, and comprising an apertured cylinder and a plurality of cover-plates removably bolted over the apertures in the cylinder on the interior thereof, and a suction-pipe leading from the cylinder up through the bulkhead.

7 The combination with a well-casing and pump, of an inlet-terminal separated from the rest of the casing by a water-tight bulkhead and comprising an outer skeleton cylinder, removable sheeting temporarily closing said outer cylinder, a perforated inner cylinder, means for temporarily closing the 9. The combination with a well-casing and pump, of an inlet-terminal separated from the rest of the casing by a bulkhead and comprising an outer cylinder, removable sheeting temporarily closing said outer cylinder, a perforated inner cylinder, means for temporarily closing the perforations in the inner cylinder, a'perforated bottom in said inner cylinder, a suction-pipe leading to the pump from the inner cylinder, and a filter-bedpacked around and beneath the inner cylinder.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoin gas myinvention I affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DABNEY H. MAURY.

Witnesses HENRY W. CARTER, CHAS. (J. BULKLEY. 

